Motion

Mobile Heuristic Evaluation & Comparative Study & Usability Test

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Overview

  • The Challenge: AI That Confused Users

  • It all started with an Instagram ad. Motion’s AI-powered calendar “claims” to “revolutionize scheduling”, but frustration quickly set in when I tried it myself. Registration was clunky, tasks disappeared unexpectedly, and scheduling felt like a guessing game rather than an AI helping me with productivity. I wondered: If I’m struggling, how are other users coping?

  • Personal: This was a personal project to expand my UX skillset and learn more about UX methodologies through practice.

Goal

Determined to bridge the gap between the product’s mission and reality, we decided to conduct user research to uncover pain points and refine Motion’s workflows.

  • Gain a better perspective on user needs

  • Observe where users are getting stuck and frustrated

  • Find areas of improvement on the application.

Reddit Reviews about Motion

Role

User Research, Concept, Development, User Design

Tools

Figma, Miro, Notion, Zoom, Google Forms

Team

2 UX Designer; 1 UX Researcher

Timeline

Oct - Dec 2023 (12 weeks)

Interviewing Users through Zoom

01: Research

To understand real-world struggles, I interviewed 8 people—5 full-time professionals and 3 university students.

  • Questions about demographics, their experience using scheduling applications, their goals, and pain points were asked.

This allowed us to better understand the participants' backgrounds and experiences, allowing us to tailor the testing sessions to their specific requirements. We then replicated the audience for our users to the Motion user age group (18-45) using peer-to-peer recruitment to ensure a more representative and comprehensive user base for Motion.​

  1.  “I feel lost in my calendar.”

  2.  “What’s the difference between tasks and events?”

  3.  “What does AI schedule even do?”

02 Research Design

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Concept Maps

I constructed a task flow to better understand the flow of Motion and the key tasks involved within the application.

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User Journey Map

I constructed a Critical User Journey Map to investigate my personal feelings, thoughts when going through the task flow of the application. This allowed me to see the key tasks being evaluated.

Persona

I created a persona to help represent a user group of Motion, to help me better understand who I am evaluating and the users goals, and pains.

Key Issues Identified

03 Evaluation

I used three different UX methodologies to familiarize myself with UX research methodologies.

First:

  • With these insights, I conducted a heuristic evaluation based on Jakob Nielsen’s 10 Usability Heuristics.

  • The biggest problems? Lack of user control, unclear system status, and cognitive overload.

Why? Conducting a Heuristic Evaluation allowed us to identify potential frequent mistakes, which can inform task analysis development. It also provides an easy and efficient way to uncover usability issues within the application.

Comparative Study Analysis

Comparative Study

  • A variety of competing products on the market serve a plethora of use cases

  • Reclaim & Calendly are two of the most popular

  • Methodology: Complete usability testing analogous to testing done for Motion

    • Multi-day journaling of experiences using both

    • Comparison of core functionalities and use cases through desk research

Conducting Usability Test

Usability Testing

I conducted in-person and remote usability tests using task analysis to evaluate Motion’s user experience. My goal was to compare task performance in the original version versus the redesigned prototype, identifying key areas for improvement.

Process & Metrics Used:

  • Conducted usability tests in both in-person and remote settings.

  • Collected task completion times, errors, success, and user satisfaction to assess usability improvements.

These improvements weren’t just numbers—they were proof of how thoughtful design and user feedback can transform an experience.

A survey was conducted to get users' feedback after their 7-day free Motion trial.

Sign-up and Setup, Task Management, and User Satisfaction to get a quantitative analysis of the features of the application

Affinity Mapping

Usability Enhancement

To gain valuable insights, I used the affinity mapping technique. I collected data from observations, user feedback, and other sources, then documented key points on sticky notes. These notes were systematically grouped into categories based on tasks, allowing me to identify patterns, trends, and user needs effectively.

Suggested usability enhancements to make Motion more convenient, user-friendly, and efficient:
 

  • Allow users to sign up and set up Motion on mobile devices.

  • Provide feedback to users throughout the setup process.

  • Have notifications to remind users about their schedules.

  • Offer a template library that users can use to quickly and easily create new tasks and projects.

  • Customize task management to meet individual needs.

  • Use consistent design elements and terminology throughout the application.

Tough Calls: Redesigning Motion Core's Workflow

Improving the experience meant making hard choices—not just fixing UI elements but rethinking entire workflows. Some of the most critical decisions:

  1. Killing the Introductory Tutorial

  • Motion had an onboarding tutorial video, but testing showed that users skipped it or forgot key details.

  • Tough Call: Instead of forcing education, we embedded onboarding directly into the interface with interactive tooltips and progressive disclosure.

  1. Reworking Task vs. Event Distinctions

  • Users couldn’t differentiate between tasks and events, often scheduling them incorrectly.

  • Tough Call: We simplified the language—“Events” became “Meetings,” and “Tasks” were labeled with deadlines, reducing confusion.

  1.  Fixing the Broken Payment Process

  • Users had to pay upfront without a trial, causing high drop-off rates.

  • Tough Call: We introduced a free trial before incorporating payments.

04 Design

Data

05 Take Out

After another round of usability testing with the design improvements, Motion was seen to improve user experience significantly. Even the slightest changes and incorporating pages together led users to have an easier experience for everyone using Motion.

  • Registration, once a frustrating four-step process, became a quick, one-step action, 5x faster.

  • Onboarding, a crucial first impression, became 3x smoother.

  • Payment processing, once a major headache, sped up by 11x, building trust and confidence.

  • Task creation became twice as efficient, with better AI scheduling and customization.

  • Error rates dropped across the board, proving a huge leap in usability.

These improvements were more than just stats—they were proof of what happens when user feedback and thoughtful design come together. The impact was real, making Motion a faster, easier, and more enjoyable tool for everyone.

Lessons Learned & Impact

  • Motion’s team adopted many of our recommendations, shaping their next product iteration.

    • This was done through emailing the CEO about this case study. Although he did not physically respond, I have noticed many of our recommendations in the new product iteration.

      • One example of change: removing the introductory video

    • This case reinforced my belief that great UX isn’t just about design—it’s about listening, adapting, and putting users first.

  • One of the biggest takeaways? Usability isn’t just about fixing UI elements— it’s about understanding human behavior.

    1. Assumptions get you nowhere. Motion marketed itself as “AI-driven,” but users needed transparency to trust automation.

    2. Less is more. Removing unnecessary steps improved efficiency far more than adding new features. 

    3. Collaboration is a skill. Working with a more experienced UX designer pushed me to leverage my strengths and grow in my weaknesses. Different roles bring different perspectives, but a shared goal—creating a more usable product—keeps the team aligned.